Video Game Bosses That Forced You To Cheat

Look, I’m all for a tough boss fight! Seriously, nobody wants a game that says it’s hard but then lets you breeze through it. A good boss should really test what I’ve learned, you know? It should feel like a real challenge that I have to overcome by actually getting good at the game’s systems. That’s what makes beating it so satisfying!

Unfortunately, sometimes that challenge can become a little too much to handle. Be it due to unfair design, poor mechanics, or an uncooperative camera that puts up more of a fight than the boss itself, it can sometimes be necessary to cheat a boss just to make it through. At least, if you want to avoid a ton of frustration. These next bosses fit into that category. Many of them can be beaten “fairly,” but doing so will cause a lot of suffering. Instead, we’ve outlined an easy way to cheese these fights so they don’t ruin your gaming experience.

Dark Link – Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link

Nobody Likes A Copycat

Few games get as much criticism as Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, largely due to its reputation for being very difficult. It’s also unique in the Zelda series as the only direct sequel. Although most of the game is reasonably fair if you understand how it works, the final boss is a truly challenging exception.

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Dark Link is notorious for being a tough opponent because he copies everything you do – if you attack, he attacks back, and if you shoot, he shoots too. The key to winning isn’t skillful play, but a clever trick: go to the bottom left corner of the screen and crouch. This will cause a glitch in his programming, making him charge at you over and over. Simply strike him when he approaches, and the battle becomes surprisingly easy.

Di Ravello’s Attack Helicopter – Just Cause 3

Let’s End This Quickly

Just Cause 3 excels with its impressive movement, explosions, and action sequences. However, the gunplay isn’t as polished. Shooting feels a bit weak, and it can be difficult to aim accurately while moving, especially with the camera. These problems are most noticeable during the final boss fight against Di Ravello, who battles you in an attack helicopter.

You can win this fight easily using one of two strategies. The first, though difficult, involves quickly grappling Di Ravello’s helicopter to a rock at the very start of the fight. If you time it perfectly, it will end the fight immediately, but a failed attempt will waste your chance. The second option is to use the Thunderbird EMP launcher. One shot will disable Di Ravello’s shields, and a second shot will destroy the helicopter. However, the Thunderbird has a short range, so you’ll need to get relatively close to use it effectively.

The Master – Fallout

Tough Talk

Once you’ve defeated the Super Mutants in Fallout, you’ll confront The Master. The game simply tells you to “Destroy The Master,” and many players assume this means a direct fight. However, that’s the hardest way to do it! Consider a more strategic approach instead.

You have two main choices. You can try to sneak past all enemies, go deep inside The Master’s cathedral, and activate the nuclear bomb he’s hidden there. Alternatively, if you have high Intelligence and Speech skills, and you’ve obtained the Super Mutant tapes from the Brotherhood of Steel, you might be able to convince The Master that his army is infertile and will die out. This could lead him to detonate the bomb himself, giving you a chance to escape.

Gandohar – Two Worlds

The People Will Rise Up

In 2007, Two Worlds generated a lot of excitement, with many hoping it would rival The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype. The game is known for being buggy, having difficult combat, and telling its story in a clumsy way. However, it does have one memorable quirk: you can actually defeat the final boss, Gandohar, in a ridiculously easy way before even finishing the tutorial, skipping the frustrating final battle altogether.

Gandohar is hidden in the starting village, and you won’t recognize him unless you’ve played before. If you manage to get his attention, he’ll follow you back to the village and attack. You can’t beat him yet, but his fireballs will hit the villagers, causing them to become hostile. Luckily, the villagers are invincible! After you’re defeated, you can simply watch as the villagers team up and defeat Gandohar for you.

Demon Of Hatred – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Go Jump Off A Cliff

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice focuses on learning your enemies’ moves and using them against them. Though similar to the Dark Souls games, Sekiro emphasizes skillful attacks and quick reflexes over careful dodging and defense. The Demon of Hatred boss is a notable exception. It feels like a classic Dark Souls boss fight within a game that generally avoids that style, making it particularly challenging and frustrating for players.

Feeling stuck on a boss? There’s a clever, though unconventional, way to defeat them. When the fight starts, quickly head left and run around the outside edge of the arena until you reach the cliff. Use a ranged attack to draw the boss’s attention to you. Then, run along the cliff edge, around to the front of the gate, and wait for the boss to get cornered. Climb the nearest tower and jump onto the roof above the gate. From this position, the boss will try to hit you, but will accidentally fall off the cliff. It’s not a fair fight, but it’s effective!

The Doctor (Adramahlihk) – Divinity: Original Sin 2

Step Out Of Your Office

Doctor Daeva is a strange character you meet repeatedly in Divinity: Original Sin 2. When you reach Arx, he reveals a shocking truth: he’s possessed by the demon Adramahlihk. He’ll then offer you a deal. If you accept, you’ll commit to one of the game’s endings. If you refuse, you’ll face the hardest battle in the entire game. Adramahlihk is supported by his nurses and summons four smaller demons, making it a very difficult fight. However, there are a few tricks you can use to make it easier.

You have a couple of choices for this fight. One is a high-risk, high-reward strategy: try to eliminate the nurses before the fight begins, then arrange their bodies around Daeva. When the battle starts, you can use an area-of-effect explosion on the corpses. This is effective, but you’ll need to avoid detection. Alternatively, you can create a choke point. When the fight begins, lead Adramahlihk and his followers back towards the entrance. They’ll get crowded trying to exit, and you can bombard them with area-of-effect attacks. This won’t necessarily defeat them completely, but it will give you a big advantage before they get outside.

Yellow Devil – Mega Man

Let Me Pause For A Second

To be honest, the Yellow Devil isn’t actually the most difficult boss in the original Mega Man – he’s just frustrating. You have to hit a very specific spot to hurt him, but it only appears briefly every once in a while. Most of the fight involves avoiding his attacks and waiting for that small opening to attack.

There’s a trick to make the Yellow Devil fight faster. Elec Man’s weapon is perfect for this. When the Devil’s weak spot appears, hit it with Elec Man’s weapon and immediately pause the game. If timed correctly, you can repeatedly pause and unpause, causing Elec Man’s weapon to hit multiple times instead of just once. You’ll still need to fight, but it will be much less frustrating.

Maneater – Demon’s Souls

I’m Not Even Going To Walk Into The Room

The Maneater is a boss in Demon’s Souls that looks like a gargoyle. You’ll encounter it as the second boss in the Tower of Latria. However, the biggest challenge isn’t the boss’s attacks—it’s the camera. Because the Maneater flies and the battle takes place on a narrow bridge, locking onto it can cause you to fall off the edge. The fight gets even harder when a second Maneater appears halfway through.

The best way to handle this boss fight depends on whether you’re playing the original Demon’s Souls or the remake. In the 2009 version, you can use a bow to attack and even kill the first Maneater before entering the boss arena by shooting through a small gap. This lets you fight the second one separately. However, this trick was removed in the 2020 remake. Instead, quickly run onto the platform to the right of the stairs, and use the Cloak spell. This will cause the first Maneater to lose interest and return to the center of the arena. When the second boss appears, it will also move to the center. Keep Cloak active, then cast Poison Cloud on both bosses and wait for it to take effect. It’s a slow strategy, but it’s effective.

T.rex – Tomb Raider

Can’t Touch This

People often discuss how challenging the T.rex battle is in the original Tomb Raider, and it largely depends on the player’s skill. This fight requires you to skillfully use Lara’s dodging, jumping, and acrobatic moves to evade the dinosaur while shooting at it with her pistols. However, the T.rex is a huge and frightening enemy, making it hard to tell if your strategy is working.

You can actually avoid most of the T.rex’s attacks. There’s a small cave just to the left of where it enters – jump inside, and it will have trouble reaching you. It might occasionally poke its head in and do a little damage, but it’s mostly safe. From inside the cave, you can easily shoot and defeat the boss quickly.

Nosk – Hollow Knight

Nice Ledge You’ve Got There

Nosk is a genuinely unsettling boss. It tricks you into approaching by disguising itself as a Knight, similar to how an anglerfish uses a lure. Once you’re close enough, the real boss appears: a massive, spider-like creature with an excessive number of legs that lets out a chilling scream before attacking. The fight is also quite stressful because Nosk relentlessly charges straight at you, and its arena is so small that dodging is difficult.

Nosk, like all bosses in Hollow Knight, is definitely beatable with skill. But if you’re having trouble or find the fight unsettling, there’s an easy strategy. The battle area has three platforms: two low ones on either side and a higher one in the center. Stand in the top-right corner, where the center and right low platforms meet. Nosk will naturally swing over your head. When it does, hit it with an upward strike. Keep repeating this, and you’ll defeat it quickly.

2026-05-26 00:37